Falling off a bicycle

I have fallen off of bikes more times than I can count. I've been scraped up, concussed, and immobilized a shoulder.

All of my bad falls happened when I was young. I have not been injured in a fall in a long time. I'm not a better cyclist, however I learned to fall safely.

Earlier today my daughter was riding on a gravel road and turned to fast. The gravel washed out and she landed on her left knee. It is cut up pretty bad. I talked with her about changing her reactions to minimize the risk of getting hurt.

I shared the following steps:

1. Keep your hands on the handlebars.

If you put your hands on the ground it could cause a hand or shoulder injury. Assuming they contact the ground first.

2. Knees are normally the first body part to hit the ground. So I always tell my kids to pull their knees up so the bike will hit the ground first.

3. Push the handlebars into the ground. Making sure the bars hit the ground first will make them absorb the majority of energy from the fall. After they contact the ground your body will slowly fall with minimal speed and impact.

The first point of contact with the ground will have the most damage. Make sure your bike is damaged to save your body. Don't forget to keep your knee tucked in and push the handlebars into the ground. Doing so will save your skin.